Irish Beef Stew

Here’s another winning recipe that I promised to you all a few weeks ago. It is a family (and friend) favorite – my brother asks for it quite often. One of the best things about it, too, is that it is even better the next day!

My recipe was adapted from one I found on the Simply Recipes website. The directions are pretty similar, but my ingredient list has a few changes.

Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef for about 2 minutes, then using tongs, flip to brown the other side for another 2 minutes. Place browned meat in a bowl, and work on the next batch. (Note: the reason I work in batches is to prevent overcrowding the pot – if it is overcrowded, the beef won’t get that nice caramelly-brown color!)

Once you’ve browned all the meat, add the garlic, cook for a few seconds until fragrant (do not burn!), and add the meat back into the pot.

Reduce heat to medium-low, the simmer, covered, for about one hour. Stir occasionally.

While the beef is simmering, chop your veggies.

Next, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Salt to taste.

Saute the vegetables until they are golden and just beginning to get golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Set aside until the beef has simmered for one hour. After an hour, add the veggies, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Occasionally check on the “done-ness” of the veggies – especially the potatoes, as you don’t want them to be mushy!

Once cooked, discard the bay leaves.

Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with parsley, if using. Enjoy! 🙂

Notes:
– Sometimes in addition to the two minced garlic cloves, I will smash one, add it to the pot (step 2), and remove it. This way, the leftover oil is infused with garlic, too!
– I am in no way educated about gluten in beer, but if you wanted to make this recipe GF, you could use GF beer, or eliminate it out of the recipe all together. Just add 1 more cup of beef broth.
– If you open up a can of tomato paste but don’t use it all, the best way to store it is by dropping tablespoons into a plastic bag or ice cube tray, and freeze until needed! (That’s why my tomato paste looks so weird 🙂 )
– You could make this recipe dairy-free by using margarine instead of butter. Double check the rest of the ingredients, too.
– The original recipe calls for peeled russet potatoes (which is what I used when I took these pictures), but I like the texture of red. I don’t peel them, either – the skin is thin as it is, and you get some added vitamins this way. I’ve made this using red potatoes, Yukon gold, and russet, and all work fine, it’s just that red potatoes are my favorite!
– I love to serve this with some toasted, buttered bread. Yum.

A huge thank you to Simple Recipes for bringing this recipe into my life! 😉